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Balfour Beatty Awarded Santa Clara VTA Overhead Contact System Rehabilitation Phase 3 Project

Once complete, the project will continue to enable the VTA to provide reliable service for passengers of Santa Clara County.

by Staff
May 10, 2022
Balfour Beatty Awarded Santa Clara VTA Overhead Contact System Rehabilitation Phase 3 Project

Construction on the third phase of OCS rehabilitation along the Guadalupe Light Rail Corridor will be underway in May 2023.

Photo: Santa Clara VTA

2 min to read


Balfour Beatty announced it has been awarded approximately $16 million to deliver Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) Overhead Contact System (OCS) Rehabilitation Phase 3 project.

Once complete, the project will continue to enable the VTA to provide reliable service for passengers of Santa Clara County and ensure its light rail track infrastructure remains in an enhanced state of good repair.

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As part of VTA’s Rail Rehabilitation and Replacement Program, the project’s third phase will renew, replace, and/or modify light rail segments along the Guadalupe Corridor and construct safety improvements in the maintenance facility on the Guadalupe Yard.

Balfour Beatty will provide general contracting services to deliver the project which will include replacing 38 miles of deteriorating mainline and crossover contact wire, section insulators, crossing pans, frogs, under bridge supports, and other various OCS components.

“We are thrilled to continue our work with Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in the delivery of vital rehabilitation services for its Guadalupe Corridor Light Rail track,” said Mark Konchar, Balfour Beatty SVP and managing director of U.S. rail operations. “Our team of highly skilled and innovative rail experts will work to provide safe, reliable, sustainable and technology-driven solutions that will further transform VTA’s OCS infrastructure and its services for passengers across Santa Clara County. We remain committed to meeting our client’s ongoing transportation goals through another successful rehabilitation project that will promote increased vitality within the region.”

The VTA has been a client of Balfour Beatty’s for nearly 10 years. The project team has successfully completed construction contracts in OCS rehabilitation services on Guadalupe rail line between Curtner and Santa Teresa and recently delivered VTA’s OCS Rehabilitation Phase 2 project in early 2021. Additionally, the team has provided traction power substation (TPSS) services and upgrades to the VTA’s rail line to Levi Stadium where they engaged Balfour Beatty’s Traction Power Group (TPG) throughout the delivery.

Construction on the third phase of OCS rehabilitation along the Guadalupe Light Rail Corridor will be underway in May 2023 with an expected completion in August 2023. At its peak, the job will employ 35 to 40 Balfour Beatty staff and craftspeople.

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